Tuesday, October 30, 2007

NASA Educator Guides

The Educational Materials section of NASA's Web site lists classroom activities, educator guides, posters and other types of resources that are available to be downloaded and used in the classroom. Materials are listed by type, grade level and subject. The following educator guides are now available as complete guides or can be downloaded in easy to use individual lesson plans.

Suited for Spacewalking Educator Guide

This NASA educator guide for grades 5-12 focuses on the technology behind spacesuits. Briefly discussed are the space environment, the history of spacewalking, NASA's current spacesuits and the work that astronauts do during spacewalks. This guide includes classroom activities, a glossary and a list of other NASA resources.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Suited_for_Spacewalking_Educator_Guide.html

Space Food and Nutrition Educator Guide

Space food research meets the challenge of providing food that tastes good and travels well in space. The activities in this NASA educator guide for grades K-8 emphasize hands-on and cooperative involvement of students as they explore the unique problems of keeping astronauts happy and healthy in space.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Space_Food_and_Nutrition_Educator_Guide.html

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Register Today for NASA/NSTA Web Seminars -- Igniting the Flame of Knowledge: Human Space Flight

Join NASA and NSTA for two free Web seminars featuring scientists and education specialists from NASA. Designed for educators of grades 4-9, the seminars will focus on the biological and physical aspects of humans living and working in space as NASA completes the International Space Station, returns a human presence to the moon and looks forward to Mars and beyond. The presenters will share their scientific expertise, answer questions from the participants and provide information regarding Web sites that students can use in the classroom.

The Web seminars are 90-minute, live professional development sessions that use online learning technologies to allow participants to interact with nationally acclaimed experts, scientists, engineers and education specialists from NASA. Each Web seminar is a unique, stand-alone program. Archives of the Web seminars and the presenters' PowerPoint presentations will be available online.

The Web seminars in this series are scheduled for Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, 2007. Each seminar will begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

Online registration for each is now open. Visit: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/fall07/NASA_Detroit/webseminar.aspx

Announcing the 12th Annual IGES Art Contest for Grades 2-4

Entries are currently being accepted for the 12th Annual Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Art Contest for students in grades 2-4. This year's theme is "The Ocean: From Bottom to Top." Entrants are encouraged to learn more about the ocean and send in a drawing about what they have learned.

The contest is open to all U.S. citizens in grades 2-4. The winning entry will be printed as the IGES greeting card and the first-, second- and third-place artists will receive savings bonds. All entrants will receive a certificate of participation.

Entries are due on Oct. 26, 2007. For more information, visit: http://www.strategies.org/ArtContest

Social Networking Safety

With all of our discussions on Social Networking either here in the blog or in our podcast, we thought we should add in some sites that talk about being safe while using these sites. On the right hand side of the blog there is a new area titled Social Networking Safety. If you are looking for more information on this topic to share with students, or family then take a look and see what is there. I'll add some more as time permits, but I wanted to at least get some up.

As we said, we are not anti- social networking sites, but we are for safe use of these sites. Think before you post something is one rule that everyone should follow when dealing with blogs, diaries, and all social networking sites.

Thanks,

Karen and Sean

Monday, October 22, 2007

Social Networking and Bookmarking

Interested in learning about Social Networking websites? I am sure you have all heard of Myspace.com. However, there are many, many more than this. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites to check out some others you may not have heard of, but your students are definitely using or http://social-networking-websites-review.toptenreviews.com/

Okay, many of you reading are probably still wondering what is a Social Networking site. Basically, a social networking site is an online place where a user can create a profile and build a personal network that connects him or her to other users. It is an online hangout to meet friends and make new one.

Top Social Network sites:

February 2007*

Rank Name Domain Market Share

1 MySpace www.myspace.com

2 Facebook www.facebook.com

3 Bebo www.bebo.com

4 BlackPlanet.com www.blackplanet.com

5 Xanga www.xanga.com

6 iMeem www.imeem.com

7 Yahoo! 360 360.yahoo.com

8 Classmates www.classmates.com

9 hi5 www.hi5.com

10 Tagged www.tagged.com

11 LiveJournal www.livejournal.com

12 Gaiaonline.com www.gaiaonline.com

13 Friendster www.friendster.com

14 Orkut www.orkut.com

15 Live Spaces spaces.live.com

16 HoverSpot www.hoverspot.com

17 Buzznet www.buzznet.com

18 Sconex www.sconex.com

19 MiGente.com www.migente.com

20 myYearbook www.myyearbook.com

MySpace, with 70 million visitors, has become the digital equivalent of hanging out at the mall for today's teens, who load the site with photos, news about music groups and detailed profiles of their likes and dislikes. Other social network sites include Facebook, geared to college students, LinkedIn, aimed at professionals, and Xanga, a blog-based community site. In all, an estimated 300 sites, including smaller ones such as StudyBreakers for high schoolers and Photobucket, a site for posting images, make up the social network universe. There is even http://www.Kaneva.com , which has a 3-d virtual world with stores, clubs and a mall that created avatars can meet friends in online to hang out.

On the Horizon, “Both companies (Myspace and Facebook) are planning to extend their reach beyond the computer screen to cell phones. Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless are starting a service that will allow users to post messages on Facebook's home pages or search for other users' phone numbers and email addresses from a cell phone. MySpace has a pact with Helio, a wireless joint venture between SK Telecom and Earthlink, that will allow users to send photos and update their blogs or profiles by cell phone. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1463

We have posted some resources for Social Networking safety to the left and in our delicious tags.

Younger versions of Social Networking sites:

http://www.Webkinz.com

http://www.Clubpenguin.com

Disney and Nickelodeon have a social networking site for kids.

Stemming from Social Networking is Social Bookmarking, which definitely has it place in education and research in this digital high tech world. Social bookmarking websites are becoming more and more popular. They allow you to save bookmarks online and Tag/Categorize them with keywords instead of saving them as bookmarks in the favorite’s list of your browser. This technology makes accessing your favorites easy to do anywhere anytime. It also makes search for topics easier since you can add people to your network with the same interests.

Go to http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social30.html for the August 2007 top listing of Social Bookmarking sites. Probably the most popular is Del.icio.us. Sean and I both have delicious accounts and we invite you to join them at the links provided below this posting.


Regards,

Karen and Sean

Plants in Space Webcast: Chat Live With a NASA Moon Scientist

When will humans return to the moon? How will they get there? How will the astronauts live and work in reduced gravity? How does someone grow plants on the moon? Classroom students from across the country will have the chance to ask these questions and more during a series of live Web chats with experts from NASA's Constellation Program and Biological Sciences Offices.
The Challenger Center for Space Science Education in Alexandria, Va., and NASA Education are partnering to host two one-hour webcasts with Dr. Gary W. Stutte and Dr. Raymond M. Wheeler from Kennedy Spaceflight Center and John Gruener from the Johnson Space Center on October 23 and 30, 2007, at 2:00 p.m.ET. The webcasts are free and open to the public.

Classroom teachers may register at the Challenger Center Web site to chat with NASA's plant growth experts on how astronauts will use plants to provide food, oxygen, clean water and recycle waste during long-duration space missions on the moon. The conversations are in support of NASA’s Lunar Plant Growth Chamber design challenge for grades K-12.

In the NASA design challenge, elementary, middle and high school students research, design, build and evaluate lunar plant growth chambers using space-flown basil seeds. Students participate in the engineering design process, learn how to conduct a scientific experiment and can receive national recognition for their efforts on the Challenger Center Web site. To register for the webcasts visit: http://www.challenger.org/clc/sts118webcast.cfm

STS-118 Basil Seeds on the Move

The 10 million basil seeds that flew in space on the STS-118 space shuttle mission have moved one step closer to the classroom. The seeds were returned to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 4, 2007, and were then packaged and sent to Park Seed Company, located in Greenwood, S.C. At Park Seed Company, the seeds will be sorted and placed in small packets, each packet containing approximately 50 seeds. The packets of space-flown seeds and control packets of seeds that have not flown will then be distributed to educators who have registered to take part in the Engineering Design Challenge. The seeds will be packaged in a commemorative envelope with an insert that provides additional information about the seeds.

The seeds are available to the first 100,000 registrants, who must be residents of the United States or U.S. Territories and Outlying Areas.

For more information on the challenge and to register to participate, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Literacy Empowerment Foundation Matching Book Grant Program

The Deadline for the Matching Book Grant Program is November 30th, 2007. http://www.lefbooks.org/matching_book_grants/

LEF currently supplies books to over 35,000 schools. The LiteracyEmpowerment Foundation (LEF) has increased the size of the matching grants available to $16,000.00 per school.

A school can now order $32,000.00worth of books and pay only $16,000.00. (Any amount purchased from $100.00 to $16,000.00 will be matched.)

The Literacy Empowerment Foundation (LEF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofitorganization. Orders must be received by November 30, 2007.

(Please forward this email to your friends and colleagues in literacy.)

Information and a matching book grant order form are available at http://www.lefbooks.org/.

NASA 50th Anniversary Essay Contest for Students Grades 5-9

NASA 50th Anniversary Essay Contest for Students

The NASA 50th Anniversary Essay Competition for middle and junior high school students is now accepting entries. The competition consists of two separate topics, each with a limit of 500 words. The first topic challenges students to describe how they benefit in their everyday lives from space technologies built by NASA over the last 50 years. The second topic requires students to imagine how their everyday lives will have changed because of NASA space technology in the next 50 years.
Students may submit two separate essays, each responding to a separate topic. Participants must be U.S. students in grades 5-9 and under the age of 15.
An optional notice of intent is due on Dec. 7, 2007. Final entries are due on or before Jan. 7, 2008. For more information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/5-8/features/F_Essay_Competition.html

NASA Educationhttp://www.nasa.gov/education

Monday, October 15, 2007

Educational Uses of SL

Hello,

Sean and I have been putting this together and adapted most of it from Puritans Guide to Second Life (one of Karen's other blogs). Many people ask us in RL when they find out that we are in SL as educators and Karen teaches some of my graduate classes in SL they want to know some of the educational benefits. We usually list one or two items and then when the conversation is over, we think wow - we should have mentioned ...

Well, we have been putting together a list for any educator considering SL that consists of Educational Benefits (compiled from multiple blogs/wikis - they are mentioned in the next section and the Second Life Wiki is among the best and where most of this information has come from), Reliable SL Blogs and Wikis and some educational places to visit in SL with connected links and videos to visit if you do not have an SL account.

How is Second Life Used Educationally?



Educational Benefits of SL

• 3D virtual worlds can provide opportunities for rich sensory immersive experiences, authentic contexts and activities for experiential learning, simulation and role-play, modeling of complex scenarios, a platform for data visualization and opportunities for collaboration and co-creation that can not be easily experienced using other platforms.

• Provides an excellent platform for flexible delivery and online education.

• An extension tool to meet student learning needs on a 24/7 basis.

• The many communities of Second Life provided students with rich opportunities for observation, research and interaction with other cultures, as well as many interview subjects for use in their writing.

• Second Life's ability to create a sense of presence, shared space and shared experience makes it ideal for presentations, panels and discussions. Presenters can show slides and videos and stream their voices into the world.

• The platform allows for the development of a range of strategies and spaces for training and skills development. Users can access a range of training options in Second Life - both useful in the virtual world and in real life!

• Residents are creating displays and exhibits on a broad range of subject areas. Using images, text and multimedia they are able to create dynamic, interactive displays and exhibits, which avatars can move in and interact with.

• Immersive Exhibits in Second Life allow residents to engage in, experience and respond to information in context, allowing for a deeper understanding of places, situations or circumstances through simulation.

• Allows students to undertake a range of role-plays and simulations, practicing real life skills in a virtual space or exploring situations that they could not undertake safely or easily in the real world.

• Advanced scripting and building tools built into the Second Life platform allow for the development of complex data visualizations and simulations.

• Teachers can create laboratories where students can take part in virtual experiments that produce and analyzable data.

• This platform currently hosts a range of Libraries, Art Galleries and Museums where residents can engage in events, discussions, and displays on a wide range of topics that they might never be able to do in the real world.

• The platform allows for the creation of amazing, immersive environments based on historical places and events. These environments can be used for a range of learning activities including role-plays, action learning and research and historical study.

• The built in scripting tools allow users of Second Life to explore a range of Artificial Intelligence concepts.

• Second Life is one big arts project, as all of the content is user-generated. However, there are plenty of examples of original artworks, both in galleries and in the "open", from scans of paintings and drawings from the real world to 3D dynamic and interactive sculptures and installations that make use of the unique 3D qualities and building tools of the Second Life platform.

• Second Life offers the ability to create a range of performances and theatrical events. Easy to customise avatars, and the ability to make elaborate sets and props quickly and cheaply makes it an appealing platform to some performance artists.

• Built in camera tools allow users to shoot virtual photographs in Second Life, which can be save and used in a range of ways including photo stories and photo scenarios. This strategy can be used to engage students in digital storytelling, and recording and reflecting their work in Second Life. It can also be used to create engaging multimedia resources, which can be used in teaching and learning.

• As well as being used by language teachers - including ESL/TESOL - to run language classes, Second Life also provides opportunities to interact with native speakers of target languages.

• Second Life has also been used to help abused children redevelop socializing skills; adults with cerebral palsy to allow them to share personal interactions without prejudice.

• Because Second Life has a real population it provides an opportunity to explore various forms of governance and community-building and to engage in political action, such as protests and electioneering, without many of the risks associated with taking action in the real world.

• Second Life has a real economy and currency exchange making it possible to experiment with running businesses and engaging in economics modeling in a low-risk environment.

Reliable SL Blog/Wiki Resources

http://rampoislands.blogspot.com/
http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses
http://eye4youalliance.youthtech.info/
http://plcmc.org/teens/secondlife.asp
http://ddmcollective.blogspot.com/
http://www.storyofmysecondlife.com/?p=153

http://puritansguidetosecondlife.blogspot.com
http://milamber-taurog.blogspot.com
http://bethssecondlife.blogspot.com/
http://kathyschrock.net/blog/
http://muveforward.blogspot.com/
http://ets.tlt.psu.edu/gaming/http://www.secondlife.intellagirl.com/

Articles and Papers
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article1557980.ece
http://trumpy.cs.elon.edu/metaverse/gst364Win2005/handout.html
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~mpepper/slbib

Some Must See Locations in SL ( I did not duplicate any from my last educational tour of SL - http://puritansguidetosecondlife.blogspot.com/2007/06/tour-of-educational-places-in-sl-self.html
)

• Remember Me - Alzheimer's Exhibit on InfoIsland
• Gold Rush - http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~orloski/670web/egame.htm
• Hydro Hijinks Diplomacy Game
• Play2Train - Idaho Bio-terrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program - http://www.isu.edu/departments/irh/IBAPP/index.shtml
• UC Davis Medical Center's Emergency Workers Simulation-based Training http://www.news.com/1606-2-6099774.html
• National Oceoanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Island http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/outreach/sl/
• Seifert Surface’s Mathematical Sculptures in the Future Sim
• S&P 500 Visualized in Second Life on Clear Ink Island - http://www.clearnightsky.com/node/278
• Genome - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Genome/91/78/23
• Roma - Ancient Rome http://rikomatic.blip.tv/file/153210/
• The Independent State of Caledon - http://www.secondseeker.com/?p=111
• Temple of Isis - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pathfinderlinden/sets/72157594214266172/
• Ant Harvesting Simulation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehEzRUu4_RM
• SDSU Second Life Pioneers based on http://www.lubbockisd.org/webquests/MeetImmigrants/ http://slurl.com/secondlife/Meadowbrook/222/97/24/

Karen & Sean

Friday, October 12, 2007

We'll be Back Soon

Karen and I have run into a few scheduling issues with people being out sick and time in different school districts, BUT we will be back to publishing more information to our Blog and doing another Podcast or 2 next week. Until then please take a moment to look at some of our other Blogs and Wikis, if you haven't already seen them.

Thanks,

Sean